


The beauty of illiteracy

by TinyPlanetExplorer



Category: Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Illiterate lefou, Lefou kinda has a thing for stanley's bum, M/M, They're cute, dress wearing stanley, gaston is dead, is there anything major to tag, lefou is precious, this was an accident
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-12
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-10-18 01:23:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10606380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyPlanetExplorer/pseuds/TinyPlanetExplorer
Summary: LeFou can't read, or write for that matter. But what if he starts receiving letters and can't even figure out who they're from? Will these letters give him the purpose he's been missing since Gaston's death?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hope y'all enjoy <3

It has been exactly one week since the curse has been lifted and to celebrate the occasion, prince Adam and Belle have decided to throw a royal ball, this time not for the beauties from all over the globe, but for all the inhabitants of the small village of Villeneuve.

 So, for this very special occasion, Stanley throws on his finest evening clothes, underlining his eyes with a slight amount of coal to bring out his eyes and paints his lips a slightly darker shade. The make-up was subtle, but knowing he was about to go out with his face coloured makes excitement settle in his bones.

 Stanley mounts his horse, more than a little looking forward to an evening promising of laughter and joy, rather than the darkness the village has found themselves in for the past while. Now that Gaston is gone, the villagers somehow appear to have found light in their everyday lives again, no longer living in the shadow of the ‘greatest man Villeneuve has ever known’. All the villagers felt a sense of freedom and purpose in their days, time to make their own decisions instead of being sheep, doing all Gaston had asked. The people found peace.

Well, most people anyways. 

“LeFou!” Stanley spurs on his horse to start riding next to that of LeFou’s. “Good evening, Stanley.” LeFou smiles politely and without much talking, the two make their way over to the castle. Nerves are evident on LeFou’s face, something Stanley understands completely, for he too, feared the reaction of the village towards him, Tom and Dick after Gaston’s passing.

After Gaston died, LeFou has become lost. He has always, ever since childhood, had Gaston beside him, had Gaston to look up to and admire. To listen to and to follow his every command. It wasn’t a healthy relationship the two had, per se, but LeFou had purpose in his life, and after so long, that purpose is gone. 

And now more than ever before, Stanley wants to hold LeFou close, telling him that he will find his way, that he will be okay. And now more than ever, Stanley’s heart breaks from the knowledge he is unable to do just that.

 

*

 

The evening is going incredibly well and LeFou is enjoying himself immensely. Despite this, he can’t help but sometimes allow his eyes to wonder to the dancing form of Stanley, dressed so different from his usual salmon coloured clothing, yet the black and white suit him incredibly well. LeFou quickly turns his gaze back to his dance partner and smiles politely. She is a sweet looking girl, a couple of inches shorter than LeFou himself. She’s pleasant to look at, but that’s about it. She isn’t LeFou’s type, simply said.

No, his type was dancing a few feet away from him, with a big smile on his face and his hair tied in an elegant ponytail.

It is then, that Stanley decides to look up, catching LeFou’s gaze and grinning broadly at the man, causing LeFou to blush and quickly looking back to his own dance partner. He hears Stanley laugh next to him.

 

*

 

Not long after that encounter, it is time to switch partners. LeFou twirls his current partner around, hands ready to clasp around yet another delicate waist of another short girl.

Only whatever he put his hands on just now was definitely a lot firmer than a woman’s waist. The two men look at each other in surprise, like neither can fully comprehend what is happening. LeFou looks up at Stanley’s glistening eyes and boyish grin and quickly takes his hands off Stanley’s butt, placing one hand on Stanley’s hip and the other on his arm as they dance around each other.

Stanley chuckles and the two of them start dancing as natural as if it was always meant to be. Or, at least, as natural as Stanley can muster, because he is finally dancing with the man he has had his eyes on for years and LeFou is looking so happy and completely in his element in Stanley’s arms.

Not to mention, LeFou grabbed his bum and the mere thought of it gives Stanley breathing issues, if he’s being completely honest. When the song finishes, the pair reluctantly lets go of one another, both walking into another direction and hurrying out of the ballroom, their cheeks red and their grins face splittingly wide.

 

*

 

It took a while before either of them mustered up the courage to have any form of contact with the other. The first one to step up is Stanley.

Taking a deep breath, he walks past LeFou’s little cottage one sunny morning (when he knows LeFou to be at the market to buy his weekly flowers) sliding a letter underneath the man’s door. Not a face to face encounter, but it’s a start.

When LeFou arrives home later that day, he is surprised to find a letter inside his home, but he can’t help but feel disappointment settle on him like a weight as he stares at the letters he never has been taught to understand.

 

*

 

Uncertain, LeFou shuffles onto the village square two days later. He has thought long and hard and has finally come up with an idea to discover the sender of the letter. What better way is there to finally learn how to read? 

Right there, at the fountain, Belle was sitting with a book in her lap. Breathing in deeply through his nose, he steps towards her. “Ehm… Hi, Belle!” She looks up after finishing the page she was reading, dragging her eyes away from the book. “Bonjour, LeFou.” She smiles kindly at him. He sits down next to her, fidgeting his hands. “Can I help you with something?” “I’m illiterate.” He blurts, red covering his cheeks as he looks up at her. Somewhere behind them he hears Tom laugh at something Stanley apparently said and he sets his shoulders a little higher. For him, LeFou could do this. “But I really do want to learn how to read. And I was wondering-” “I would love to help you, LeFou.”

And so, Belle and LeFou fall into a pattern, meeting in the castle library, surrounding themselves with books, parchment, ink and quills. Every week, LeFou would learn new words and letters and every week he got to read and understand a little more from Stanley’s letter. Until one week, he understood.

 

_Dear LeFou, mon amour,_

_I had the most wonderful time at the ball and I can’t help but think about our dance the majority of the time. You’re a great dancer, mon LeFou._

_Ton Stanley._

LeFou struggles his way through the letter and when he’s done, he has the biggest grin on his face he’s had since the ball.

He takes out a piece of parchment and ink Belle has given him to practise his letters and starts writing a reply. He knows what he wants to say to Stanley, now all he has to do is try and get the words onto the paper.

 

_Deer Stanley,_

_Thank yu vor yur lettre. I also hed many funn at the bal, thanks too yu. It made me feell beter about myself then I hav in a long tym._

_Ton LeFou._

He waits until he knows for certain Stanley will be at the tavern with Dick and Tom until sliding the note underneath the door, before hurrying back home.

 

*

 

_Dear Stanley,_

_I would like you to know that you are very special and dear to me. That night, at the ball, it gave me hope. After Gastons death, I thought my life would become without meaning. You proved me wrong, mon Stanley, you give my life meaning. Your letters give my life meaning. And I wand to thank you for that. I know that its been almost a year since your first letter, every single one just as special as the next._

_Merci, mon amour._

_Ton LeFou_

 

Stanley slips the letter in the top of his dress, re-adjusting his hair.

“It is time.”

 

*

 

The church bells chant a happy song, signalling that there is a new, happily wed couple in town. Never in a million years has LeFou thought those bells would chant for him, but here he was, alongside the most gorgeous man he’s ever laid eyes on. Who would have thought what for beauty there would be in words and letters?

He looks up from thought when a hand appears in his eyesight. “Care for a dance, mon amour?” “Bien sûr, mes époux.” LeFou stands up taking Stanley’s hand, loving the red colouring Stanley’s cheeks from nothing more than his words. Even though they have been married for maybe just over an hour, LeFou has discovered he loves calling Stanley his husband, loving Stanley’s response to it all.

He leads his very handsome husband to the dance floor, leading the dance. “Je t’aime, LeFou.” “Je t’aime, Stanley. And your dress is beautiful, but not half as gorgeous as the man wearing it.” LeFou winks, twirling Stanley around. When Stanley turns back into his arms, Stanley gives him a mock glare. “I would very much appreciate it if you would take your hand away from my bum, Monsieur LeFou.” LeFou laughs. “Would you really?” Stanley rolls his eyes, but leans forward anyways, kissing his husband.    


End file.
